Just like Air
by Eternal Orchestration
Summary: We're like air. Invisible but very real." JoshuaxNeku, angst, onesided, spoilers for the game, ending, and secret ending, twoshot now. Please R&R!
1. Just like air

**A/N**: First in a while and first of, hopefully, many TWEWY fanfictions to come. One shot, JXN, OOC for Joshua, Uberspoilers for the game, ending, and secret ending. Aw, hell, it basically tells you the secret ending. If you want to figure it out for yourselves, press the itty bitty back button please.

Thank you and enjoy!

--

_Atop 104, they can't see us but we can see all four of them. Sanae was next to me, at my feet. They seemed happy, after a week, they met at Hachiko's statue as they'd promised. They were waiting for him there. He'd apparently been late, looking at CAT's mural in Udagawa again. He may as well take a picture, it'd last longer. His phone, after three years of having finally had a camera now. But I digress._

"Hey, did I mention? I've got friends now! We're getting together for the first time in a week! See you there?"

_"Ya know? This mess is gonna create some repercussions upstairs… But hey, at least things are back to normal, right?", yeah, normal. After all of that, he changed my mind. Another chance for this place. I looked at them all laughing, having the time of their renewed lives together. Sanae looked at my less then enthusiastic expression. "What? You seem down. Hey, its their world… They get to decide what to do with it…", don't you think I know that…? Even then, something wanted to be a part of his world. Just a little. "We just--",I couldn't take anymore of Sanae and his lecturing and decided to leave, back to my throne, my Room of Reckoning. "Some folks just can't take no for an answer…", he chuckled. A flap of white wings and Sanae was right behind me._

_Shibuya._

_The same Shibuya I had meant to erase after a mere thirty days of waiting._

_A Shibuya that was small, stifling, and empty._

_A Shibuya that almost pleaded with me to erase it, to end its misery._

_After meeting him._

_No, not just meeting him._

_Spending time with him, talking with him, teasing him._

_Manipulating him for an entire month, lying to him, making him falsely trust me, murdering him, not once but twice._

_He won't forgive me but he still trusts me._

_--_

"Neku! You're late again!", the plain brunette in glasses scolded him as he came over towards Hachiko. Beat, Rhyme, and I stood behind her as she wagged a single finger towards him. She gave him more reasons to not be late, lecturing the poor boy.

"You really must be more aware of the time, Neku. We might have just abandoned you here. Hee hee.", this was regular with Neku to be late for our little outings, no matter what, even meeting at the same place at the same time everyday, he still couldn't be punctual. Neku just sent a glare my way, not bothering to respond.

"Well, its not like I can bypass all the traffic, Shiki. Jeez, cut me some slack.", my proxy tried to squirm out of it with his useless excuses. I just laughed at him, every other day it seems that Neku couldn't keep track of time.

"I tol' you, man. You gotta pay attention to dis kinda thing.", Beat explained to him, his hand in a fist, almost like he was going to punch him for being late. Rhyme was the only one who could tell him to calm down successfully.

"Beat, its fine, its not like Neku meant to leave us waiting and it was only for a few minutes.", the youngest told her older brother, taking hold of his arm just to prove her point further. He sighed heavily as he slumped forwards.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry.", he apologized. Neku just laughed, happily accepting the apology but got a Mr. Mew to the head to remind him that he wasn't going to be late tomorrow.

"Ow! UG or RG, you're still deadly with that piggy."

"He's a cat! Mr. Mew the cat! How many times do I have to tell you?", she asked, getting frustrated as they gang had tickets to a movie today that they were all going to see. Shiki and Rhyme forced the boys to go to some chick flick. Joshua was fine with it, he'd probably not watch anyways and be focused on other things. Beat and Neku had the problem with seeing it but two girls were forces to be reckoned with. I suggested that they should go on ahead of us and that Neku and I had to talk.

"Yeah, we'll see you there! Don't be too long this time!", Shiki called as they ran off to get snacks, drinks, and find good seats for the movie, no matter how badly some of them didn't want to see it. They turned a corner and were out of sight. It was just Neku and I standing there by Hachiko. I'm sure he didn't mind it. Neku smiled at me as he stuffed one of his hands in his pockets. The other reaching to pull the blue headphones on his ears away and onto his neck.

"I guess I spent too much time looking at Mr. H's mural, again, huh?"

"Well, it certainly hasn't stopped you before. Hee hee. Besides, there are so many memories there. Its nice to reminisce once in a while. Even if the memories may not be as good to either of us.", I answered him before getting just a step closer to him, my back to the loud, noisy, beautiful Scramble.

"I still can't forgive you yet though. But no matter what, I still trust you…", Neku told me, a smile that I reciprocated. He was always easy to read, Neku. He wanted to go back to that week, the week we became partners. Just to relive that week with me.

"I know, I don't blame you… Neku.", I missed him after the Game. That month long Game where I watched him, I brought him there with my own hands, I saw him open up, I helped him open up. Even after finding out I had killed him, two times, pulled the strings behind this entire Game in order to destroy his home where he said himself was born and raised, he couldn't pull the trigger on me. He cried for me instead. Even after that, I killed him again. I gave him his life back, all of his friend's lives back, his memories and through the entire thing, something more. Just a kiss, I knew he'd just push me away, but I had to try. The slightest contact that closed the gap between us both. All the noise that I heard from Shibuya itself. Each breath this town took was quiet as I held my own breath. It was perfect.

"Neku, come on!!", he passed right through me to meet his first partner that called to him. I couldn't even turn around to see him leave.

"Yeah, I'm coming!", he replied to her, that's the last I could hear of his voice before I had the nerve to turn around and watch my proxy, my Neku disappear into the crowded Scramble. That's it.

Have you ever noticed that when no one can hear you, its easier to tell someone something? How could you give your heart to someone? How can you tell them you love them if you are just air?

Your feelings are invisible but very, very real.

"How could you, Neku…?"


	2. Just maybe

**A/N: **Now a twoshot, more angst!Joshua, JXN, OOCness for Joshua, Neku, and the bit parts of Mr. H, spoilers for the secret reports and a smidge of the secret ending from last chapter, and a bit of fluffyishness if you squint your eyes.

Thank you and enjoy Hee hee

Timeskip: One Year

_"Mr. H's mural…"_, Neku thought, touching the cold painted concrete he enjoyed so much. Behind the large collar of his shirt, he smiled. _"I died here, lost my best friend here, opened up here… For the first time since I could remember, I took my headphones off here too… All thanks to Mr. H and…"_, the smirk fell off his face, it'd been a year since that month, that hellish month Joshua brought him into the Reaper's Game. Shattered everything he thought he knew, broken him and, yet, he has him to thank for his change. No matter how hard those few weeks that stayed fresh in his mind, he would credit him for his life, his home, his friends. That little speck of gratitude made it possible. Neku let out a sigh, memories flooded his mind, some sweet and happy, some were things that some normal person may go insane from. Monsters you could only imagine in nightmares, people being taken away and erased to nothing but static dust, the remains of Reapers killed by black Noise, some even by his own hands. Worst of all, your own death, there in the UG. Neku focused on these thoughts that a part of him wanted to forget. Another part of him cherished those memories of that alternate Shibuya. He strolled down Udagawa's steps and past Shibu-Q Heads, through Tipsy Tose Hall, going by AMX. Making his way to Center Street. Center guys and Gal-O's lined the ways as well as many of Shibuya's people. People that would have been long erased by now. Neku knew it might have been too late to turn around and visit Mr. H. Wild Kat was just as empty as ever, his only customers seemed to be Neku and his friends, Shiki, Beat, and his little sister Rhyme whenever they came around. Neku made his way to the Scramble, hands deep in his pockets, headphones blaring in his ears, friends or not, he was a kid who enjoyed his music. He made a move to cross but was held back by a much older man, a hand from his shoulder to the opposite side of his waist caught him just as a car zoomed by him. The way it seemed, the driver almost took his nose off with that.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you to look both ways before crossing the street? Hee hee…", Neku felt a chill run through him as they began to turned on their heel to turn a corner. He finally sucked in a gasp before his brain reacted to the man's voice. He pushed through the people that crowded the entrance to Corner Street to cross as the light turned green. Neku trying not to get swept away, going in the opposite direction to catch up with him. He ran past the corner and tried to follow him through, seemingly, the same amount of people he just fought his way through. He watched him walk even farther away, how was he so quick, walking so nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, through these kinds of crowds?! Neku followed him all the way to Towa records where he lost sight of him then.

"Damn it!! Where'd he--!!", Neku swore loudly, some people giving him odd looks then going on their way. If it was who he thought it was, he'd be heading to Wild Kat. Neku practically ran through the first opening in the mass of people he could see and went for it. At least now he was clear, rarely, did anyone go under Miyashita Park nowadays, and there were never as many people there on Cat Street. Only in front of Wild Kat, Mr. H came outside and greeted him with a smile and a wave. The man Neku had been following turned around and smirked.

"Seems I've brought along a stowaway, eh, Sanae?", he spoke to the artist.

"Looks like it, Boss. What's up, Phones?", Mr. Hanekoma greeted him the same way. Neku was right, it was him just much, much older. No longer the fifteen year old kid he appeared a year ago. The Pegaso brand clothing he wore, a long sleeved shirt with a scarf around his neck. His face was the same, older but the same. And that infernal infinite smirk of his.

"Joshua…? Is that… really…?", Neku almost couldn't believe his eyes, blinking just to make sure his eyes weren't out of focus or something.

"Joshua, Joshua… Hmm, kinda scrawny, silver hair, dress shirt, orange cell phone, ridiculously good looking?", he chuckled as he listed the last one, feigning confusion. "Nope, never heard of him, he sounds like an amazing person though, hee hee…", Neku was sure he would never see Joshua again after that. "What's wrong, any lights on in there?", he teased in that arrogant tone and Neku went to punch him in the face. If it were for his size, Neku'd have had him. Joshua, taller and obviously, much stronger in this form held his fist away from contacting his cheek.

"Why'd you just run away like that?! Just save my ass and you expect me to owe you later then?!", Neku snapped. Really, he wasn't sure himself if he was making any sense.

"Really, I thought I taught you better than that. How about a hello for my trouble?"

"_Your_ trouble?! You've given me nothing but trouble since I met you!", Neku pulled his hand away, still clenched in a fist.

"Hey, hey. Let's go inside and talk and you two can sort this out yourselves however you want. You guys are drivin' away my customers. ", Sanae interjected before Neku could throw another punch at the Composer who was still ever so calm. The Producer opened up the door to let himself in but only ended up holding open the door for Joshua as he stepped a second in front of him. The second the young man stepped inside, he shrunk. Back to the fifteen year old Joshua he met a year ago. That was a bit odd but Neku always knew there was something special about Wild Kat. Neku had the courtesy to let Sanae in his own café first before shutting the door behind them. Joshua sat at a small café table, his legs crossed, looking just as prissy as ever. Neku took a seat at the same table, he wasn't sure why he was so angry in the first place, enough to punch Josh.

"Sanae, a cup of coffee, if you please?", he asked him as Sanae went behind the counter as per his boss's order to fix him one. Neku wasn't comfortable enough to sip coffee and chat with Joshua just yet so he passed. "Why'd you follow me here? If you hate me so much, why pursue me?", Joshua got straight to the punch as soon as his tea cup hit the table, Sanae holding his out for the payment for his coffee. It wasn't cheap and it certainly wasn't free.

"That'll be ¥680 please.", Sanae spoke, a smile on his face and a chuckle. Joshua just looked at him, he expected him, Shibuya's Composer to pay for a cup of two bit coffee from an empty café? No, he didn't think so. He ignored the hand and took a sip of his beverage. "Jeez, Boss, you want me to go broke?"

"If you're so worried about going broke, go in the back and start drawing.", Joshua snapped, apparently he wasn't in much of a mood either. It was weird but the usual calm, condescending Josh he knew had even more of an attitude like a spoiled brat, which he probably was. Mr. H sighed a breath and retreated to the back room, not wanting to get involved in what would be the ex-partners' quarrel.

"Why I followed you was because you save my life a year after you killed me twice and you just walk away with nothing to say to me?", Neku folded his arms across his chest and glared, though keeping his angry composure.

"I figured you wouldn't want to be stuck playing the Game again, nor see my face anymore after that, Neku. I was doing you a favor, be grateful.", Neku stood up, slamming his hands on the table to prove his point. The saucer that once held the Composer's tea cup shook as did the table.

"For heaven's sake, Josh--"

"Neku, if I did anything for Heaven's sake, you wouldn't be here right now. In my best interest, I let you live. I spared Shibuya, I gave you your friends back, I gave you a more rewarding life and this is how you repay me? The only reason you're even breathing right now is because Sanae and I convinced the Angels to let you live out your life, you and your friends.", Joshua put his cup down and stood, the arrogance left his expression, replaced with an annoyed look in the young Composer's eyes. Neku's face fell into confusion and disbelief. Joshua pleaded with the Angels to let him live. He really was supposed to die. Neku fell back into his chair, blinking, trying to comprehend it all. Why would he do that?

"…But why would you…?", he wasn't sure how to ask him as Yoshiya sat down a moment after him and picked up his coffee again, re-crossing his legs. One hand adjusted the scarf that hung loosely around his neck, coming off slightly with the change in size.

"Why? Isn't it obvious? I haven't been able to see you in an entire year, the Angel's punishment for me after our little Game. What worse a punishment than to be torn from the one you love most, hmm?", he spoke those words and they just made Neku's heart jump in his chest. But the way he said it, it wasn't loving, it wasn't Joshua's snarky tone, it had so little emotion with the undertone of spite.

"… Joshua… I-I didn't realize… Why didn't you let Mr. H tell me…?"

"He may be my Producer but after a year of only his company, you get tired of speaking to each other. Besides, the Angel's restricted us talking to you about it, ever wonder why I was never one of your conversation pieces when ever you came here? This place was made so that 'Shibuya's Composer shall not be spoken of'. You didn't notice from the RG, did you?", Joshua finally broke a smile and it seemed to relieve a small bit of the guilt Neku felt. Wait, why was he feeling guilty? Joshua got what he deserved, right…? Neku may not have been able to forgive him yet but retribution didn't matter. Joshua took a sip of his coffee before putting it back on the saucer that sat idly on the table top.

"N-Notice what…? Were you watching me from the UG…?",Neku asked, almost hesitantly, glancing off in one direction for a moment to somehow avoid the awkwardness of the question. It failed.

"I was… A week after you ended my Game, Sanae and I got to talking. He said 'Its their world, they get to decide what to do with it'. I wasn't content with that, Neku… I was confined to my own Shibuya, my UG became my home for an entire year. Whenever I needed companionship, I would stand by your friends as they waited for you to arrive. Last year, do you recall the earthquake that shook near the Scramble? The View monitor fell and killed two people?", Joshua held that smile but it was sad, almost looking at himself as pathetic. Neku's lips parted almost, even Joshua can have his sad moments, Neku thought it might have been a hallucination until reality set it.

"You did that?", Neku asked rhetorically, its obvious he could but the strange situation left him with little to nothing to say.

"Not on purpose, I try to keep my powers in check but its hard to keep control when your heartbroken. Not that it was your fault, the two knew each other and partnered up in my Game, they came back to life when the week ended. I remember you going to Hachiko to meet your friends like usual, a few days before that. You were coming from the Scramble, late again because you were looking at Sanae's mural. If I recall correctly, you had tickets to some chick flick Shiki and Rhyme wanted to see and you and Beat were dragged along. You let them go ahead so you could think…", Joshua's fingers interlaced before resting on his lap, that sad smile across his face.

"You knew about that? I didn't think you could hear me…"

"Oh, I heard you and I even began to reply back. I suppose losing your sanity is a price to pay for an ignorant happiness… I even went up to kiss you but… Shiki called to you and you passed right through me…", Joshua's smile lessened more and more.

"Joshua, I'm…"

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen… At one moment, I've achieved my goal and could erase Shibuya, next, I'm sitting in the Room of Reckoning, causing disasters because I'm trembling like a puppy.", Joshua's miserable smile faded to something almost unnoticeable as Neku tried to absorb all this. This was too much, his head was going to burst, he started to feel lightheaded just trying to process it all at once.

"Josh, I-I don't…", Neku could find no words, he wasn't sure what to say now or what he wanted to convey. Joshua just sat there, it was slight, just as unnoticed as his smile but his hands were shaking. Frightened by something. Frightened by Neku's possible reply. "… It probably won't make up for anything you've gone through, Josh, but… I think… I can forgive you now…", Neku's face was tinted pink as he glanced off, he wasn't sure if it was from the lightheadedness or from what he was just informed of. It wasn't something easy to do but he didn't have any hatred for Joshua, nothing against him, maybe he couldn't forgive him not being around anymore. Just maybe. Joshua gave a blink, holding back his dumbfounded expression until that not as arrogant smile came back on his face.

"Neku, can you forgive me with a hug…? Its been so long without human contact…", Joshua stood, asking. He held his arms out, whether Neku wanted a hug or not, Joshua would get what he wanted. Luckily, Neku owed him that much and probably more, a year was a long time. Neku chuckled and stood up too, rolling his eyes, besides, no one could really see them hug in here anyways. Hormones and overall shyness let a blush play on his cheeks. Why not?

"Oh, okay, fine…", Joshua was the first to move and wrapped his arms around him, head on Neku's shoulder. Much better… Joshua was the first to let go too, despite his plea for human contact but the second Neku got a look at Joshua's face, her moved forward and pressed their lips together, grip around his back and suddenly a hand around his waist went tighter. Neku's eyes went wide with shock and surprise, the Composer pulled away only when Neku saw a flash of light from across the room of a Polaroid camera and the whirring noise of the picture exiting the device.

"I'm so glad you forgive me now, Neku. Let's have this as a keepsake, hmm?", Joshua giggled as Sanae stood there with the camera, looking half disgusted with the show of affection, handing his boss the picture, snapped just as Neku blinked with that blush on his face. "Ooh, perfect timing, Sanae…", Joshua muttered as he was looking at it, the timing made it look like a much more passionate picture than it was meant to be.

"Yeah, am I done for the day, Boss? I don't want anymore part in this. If you guys want to flirt with each other, do it without me having to watch.", Sanae put the camera behind the counter before leaving to the backroom again, Neku not even realizing he came out in the first place.

"Wait a second, this was all a set up?! Josh, you snotty little-- You were lying about the whole thing, weren't you?!", Neku raised a fist at him, without Mr. H around, Josh wouldn't get pulled out of this one and he was scrawny again. He'd punch him in the face for sure, no consequences!

"Oh come now, Neku, didn't you miss me at all? Besides, what if I was really lying? What ever are you going to do about it?", that smirk and a touch to his silvery hair as he looked at him sent Neku off, gritting his teeth as he groaned and left Wild Kat, storming home. The Composer left all to his lonesome with a picture in his hand.

_"Joshua, that smug, arrogant, snotty little piece of-- Ugh, I can't believe I even agreed to that!! Manipulating me into that stupid picture! And guilting me into forgiving him too! …Still, he may get on the remains of my nerves but… I trust him and I do forgive him… It was nice to see him again…"_, Neku thought and, even if he was too angry or too involved with his thoughts to remember, so was Josh. He sat back down in his seat, tossing the picture on the table next to his cup of before picking it up, saucer and all.

"It was nice to see you too, Neku…", he smiled at the picture before taking the last sip of his lukewarm coffee.


End file.
